Eddie Howe admits it's a 'disaster' for Newcastle United when Allan Saint-Maximin is unavailable. The French winger came off the bench to remind supporters how invaluable he can be to the Magpies set-up, after a lengthy lay-off with injury.
The French winger continues to divide opinion on Tyneside, with consistency his biggest issue. On his day, there can be no questioning Saint-Maximin's ability to be one of the best attack-minded players in the division.
The 25-year-old stepped up his injury rehabilitation with 33 minutes of action from the bench in Newcastle's win over Bournemouth. Speaking after the win over the Cherries, Howe told the Daily Mail: "For me, if he is unavailable at any time, it is a disaster, because he's unique and he's got those skills that any defender doesn't want to play against.
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"Maxi is a massive player for us. You saw as soon as he entered the pitch against Bournemouth (in Tuesday's Carabao Cup win), he's got that ability to put his opponent on the back foot. For me, he's the best dribbler in the Premier League and you need that in your team.
"Now, we're just building him fitness-wise back to his best levels. Being the player he is, he needs to be able to sprint repeatedly at high levels.
"He's going in the right direction and he's a key player for us. He's a real character and we love him for that. He's got a really nice personality, he's really good to work with."
Saint-Maximin has missed nine of Newcastle's games in all competitions with injury this season, battling to the lofty heights of third place in the Premier League. Howe added: "Now, the team has performed really well in his absence, which has been a great thing. Ideally, you don't want to become reliant on any one player - if you are, then you're putting yourself in a very difficult position.
"Our aim is to try to build the squad strong enough and robust enough that we can cope with any absence."
Saint-Maximin took the Carabao Cup clash by the scruff off the neck as a second-half substitute, but Howe has quashed any rhetoric that the French forward is performing better from the bench. However, the Toon boss accepts that five substitutions will only heighten the chances of a match-winner coming from the bench.
"Players don't view that role necessarily as something they want to do on a regular basis," said the Magpies' head coach. "That is the players' mindset.
'Every player wants to start and play 90 minutes. But you're looking for players who can impact when you make changes. It has very much become a squad game.
"I believe specialists in certain actions, whether that's coming off the bench or starting a game for an hour, are going to become more relevant. Could that be Saint-Maximin? I certainly wouldn't be having that conversation with Allan.
"He's absolutely not in that role - he's a key player from the off, when he's 100 per cent fit. But yes, with other players, if you do get someone in that position, you'd have to be open and honest and discuss their role. If you have the right personality, that can work."
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